TIMISOARA, ROMANIA: Science & Sunshine
Timisoara is the cultural and commercial capital of Romania's West Region, Banat, known for its hospitality and beauty and surnamed “little Wien” or “the window on the West”. It is one of the most dynamic cities in Romania and is also the place where the Revolution against communism started in 1989. The very soul of the city is a charming blend of provincial town and a big city which makes you feel at home and welcome. This October, Professor Alexandru Cristescu and his colleagues from the Department of Pathophysiology hosted the VIth National Conference of the Romanian Society of Pathophysiology “New Trends in Pathophysiology. Bridging People and Science” held jointly with the International Symposium “Cardioprotection in Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury: Where Do We Stand in 2007?” in Timisoara. The venue was the University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Timisoara, which is the most prominent traditional medical school from the Western part of Romania. The Meeting was introduced by a pre-conference course aimed at highlighting the recent advances in the pathophysiology and therapeutics of ischemia-reperfusion, as a prerequisite for the outstanding keynote lectures given by prominent European scientists during the following Symposium. The aim of the Conference was to present the latest scientific results on most relevant aspects of modern Pathophysiology research. Pathophysiology represents the bridge between basic sciences and clinical medicine providing the necessary conceptual and methodological tools for advancements in diagnosis and therapy, especially at the molecular level. Translating basic research into key advances in clinics can only be achieved if researchers and clinicians combine to exchange their knowledge and work together. We were mostly honored to welcome Professor Laszlo Rosivall who transmitted a kind multilingual greeting on behalf of the International Society of Pathophysiology. During the morning sessions, plenary lectures were given by Professors of Pathophysiology from the main medical Universities of Romania. Afterwards, the Conference was structured in two major parallel sessions for both oral communications and poster presentations: Experimental Studies and Clinical Studies. The event developed in a friendly and informal atmosphere, allowing basic scientists and physicians, fellows, interns and students from all over the country to discuss their recent findings and to exchange theories on a variety of topics. During the second day the Conference focused on cardioprotection. This issue was addressed in the form of an International Symposium by distinguished invited scientists from Romania and several European Countries. International keynote speakers who shared with us their knowledge as well as the most recent, unpublished results of their ongoing research in the field, included: Fabio Di Lisa (Padova, Italy) – the President of International Society for Heart Research - European Section, Alain Grynberg (Paris, France), Antigone Lazou (Thessaloniki, Greece), Michel Ovize (Lyon, France), Frantisek Kolar (Prague, Czech Republic), Tanya Ravingerova (Bratislava, Slovakia), Andras Varro (Szeged, Hungary) and Laszlo Rosivall (Budapest, Hungary) – the Treasurer of International Society of Pathophysiology. The interesting program covered a range of topics in the field of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury, including sources of oxidative stress with special emphasis on the role of mitochondria, signal transduction pathways in cell death and survival, electro-mechanical function in mammalian myocardium as well as protective interventions from targeting metabolic pathways such as fatty acid oxidation to cardioprotective signaling via PKC and PI3/Akt, and ischemic preconditioning and postconditioning. The conference finished with the excellent presentation of Professor Laszlo Rosivall who described novel, as well as provocative structural, findings on the renal renin-angiotensin system which will clearly impact on our understanding of kidney function in health and disease. There were also wonderful social events, such as an exquisite organ concert held in the Catholic Dom of Timisoara and a charming closing cocktail dinner, which provided the opportunity for casual conversation and the renewing of friendships. Fortunately, unusual summertime temperatures of an average 22° C accompanied the event and some of the attendees welcomed the opportunity of a nice walk and talk tour of the town’s historical center in the last day of the Conference.
Danina Muntean, M.D., Ph.D
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